LOBAMBA: Hosea Member of Parliament(MP) Mduduzi ‘Bacede’ Mabuza halted a Parliament debate for the ICT Ministry on Wednesday demanding that Information Minister Princess Sikhanyiso goes back to work.
The Hosea MP said Constitutionally, all citizens in the country must enjoy a three months maternity leave adding that the absence of Princess Sikhanyiso from her Cabinet duties was now in violation of the Supreme Law.
As a result, the MP who cited Section 72 of the Constitution further mentioned that Commerce Minister Mancoba Khumalo who has been the acting Minister of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) was also violating the Constitution that states clearly that no Minister shall act for more than six(6) months.
“Section 72 of the Constitution does not allow these proceedings to continue Chairman, because the presence of this Minister(Mancoba Khumalo) on acting basis violates the Constitution. You will remember that Section 72 of the Constitution does not allow this Minister to stand before you, the law states clearly that any Cabinet Minister cannot be allowed to be absent from duty for more than six months. We know that the Minister for Commerce has been acting without an instrument and the instrument that he later gave us expired in January 2021, so we cannot continue working with this Ministry because currently, we don’t have a Minister for ICT” he said.
The Hosea MP said all citizens in the country must be treated equally adding that according to the law, a maternity leave should be three months.
“All citizens in the country must be treated equally and in accordance with the law particularly those who are paid with taxpayers money”, said the MP
After the submissions by the Hosea MP, appointed Member of Parliament Prince Mfanawemakhosi Jomo Dlamini asked the MPs to allow the ICT Portfolio Commitee to continue with Parliament business as the matter raised by the Hosea MP was similar to that where he questioned why Ministers who were elected by the people were a minority in Parliament.
Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze who doubles as the Chairman of the ICT Portfolio Commitee later asked the MPs to meet privately in a caucus to discuss the matter.
This was after the Hosea MP maintained that he wants Princess Sikhanyiso to go back to work.
ICT Minister Princess Sikhanyiso